Chris proud of leading role

CH: “To be on the pitch playing, and captaining the boys, it`s something that will live with me forever

The vice captain this season has been Chris Hamilton but apart from the SPFL Trust Trophy match against Celtic B, Kyle Benedictus has been ever present and always there to carry out his captain’s role. That is up until Saturday.

As a Pars fan Chris watched the last League One trophy presentation on 30th April 2016 from the Main Stand and so it was an unbelievably proud moment for him to lead the team out against Clyde and be part of the podium celebrations as Dunfermline played their last home match of this season’s League One programme and received the trophy. He told the website:-

“Just having my family there, and seeing what it means to them as well, is crazy. It`s something that I never thought I would be able to do. Winning a trophy anywhere is massive but, to do it with the team you`ve grown up supporting, and your whole family supports, it`s something that will live with me forever."

Claiming it was a truly a boyhood dream realised, Chris continued:-

"When I came here as a wee boy watching, I`ve watched them win the League One trophy before and, if you`d told me that day that, in five, six years time, that I`d be doing the same, captaining the boys on the day, and then playing in the team, I wouldn`t have believed you. To be on the pitch playing, and captaining the boys, it`s something that will live with me forever

“I had an idea when Bene got sent off last week that would probably be the case. I`ve been looking forward to it. Obviously, I`m gutted for Bene, because he deserved to lead the team out and take all the credit, but he`ll get enough credit this season for what he`s done for us.

"I`m delighted for all the boys, they`ve worked so hard all season. I`m delighted for the management staff, all the staff behind the scenes, because they work so hard. This day, and days like today, is for everyone.”

It did look as though a stuffy Clyde side was going to dampen the mood and hold the League One champions but their never say die attitude paid off yet again:-

"I thought Clyde were decent and made it hard for us - I wish them all the best in the play-offs - and Lewis McCann comes on. Again, the team`s sticking together, and what a strike to win it. It seals off what`s been an incredible season."

Saturday confirmed another two records
- a full league season without being beaten at home something that has happened on only three previous occasions: seasons 1912/13, 1925/26 and 1932/33.
- the fewest goals conceded at home in a league season - 10 goals breaking the previous record of 11 goals from 1994/95.

Chris is rightly proud of being part of a title winning team and being in a team setting records.

"I think we`ve maybe not been given as much credit, especially off some people and some teams, that we deserved probably this season for our record, and how a lot of people spoke about how hard this league was going to be at the start of the season. I was one of them.

"As a fan, when the team got brought down, I didn`t know I was going to be here at that point, but I was saying it`s going to be a tough year, and they were going to have to get a good team together and give it a good go, because there`s going to be a lot of teams in the league that would fancy themselves.

"To do it the way we`ve done it, unbeaten at home, and only losing one game so far, is crazy, but we want to keep going.

"We`ll regroup in the summer. We`ll rest, because we need it, but, as soon as we`re back in, we`ll be focussing on next season, and we`ll want to kick on and succeed again."

Related Stories

• Captain’s control room containment
• Management Post Clyde
• Player of the Year Awards 2022-2023
• Eleventh Hall of Fame - April 2023